Chicago Bears: Ryan Pace, John Fox cannot work together
As the Chicago Bears start a season 0-2 for the third-straight year, it is clear that Ryan Pace and John Fox are on different pages.
The Chicago Bears again start a season 0-2. This is the third season in a row that’s happened. In the previous two seasons, they managed to win just nine games combined. Hope for them winning even half of that this season is dwindling.
The two men leading (or misleading) this charge are general manager Ryan Pace (from the front office) and head coach John Fox (from the field). After the struggles with Phil Emery and Marc Trestman, fans were ready to get back to winning. Well, that hasn’t happened. The losses have piled up, and so has the frustration.
Something needs to be done about the Pace-Fox duo. It just isn’t working out. Pace didn’t have a say in the hiring of Fox. Ernie Accorsi was in charge of finding a general manager and head coach. Because of Pace’s youth, Bears ownership felt uncomfortable. They felt having a veteran, old-school coach would balance things.
Well, there is no balance. Pace preferred a young coach. He wanted Adam Gase, but ended up hiring him as the offensive coordinator instead. Gase eventually went on to become the Miami Dolphins head coach and, lo and behold, he led them to the playoffs in his first season there.
More from Chicago Bears
- Chicago Bears HC Matt Eberflus speaks on a number of team issues
- Roschon Johnson showing he can be Chicago Bears RB1
- Lingering free agent could be an absolute godsend for Chicago Bears
- Chicago Bears: Should Tyson Bagent be the backup quarterback?
- Chicago Bears: 3 replacements if Justin Fields isn’t the answer
Pace is a new-school kind of guy. He wants to bring the Chicago Bears offense into the 21st century. On the other hand, Fox is content with having a strong running game and a good-enough passing game. Thus, these two philosophies don’t mix well.
Things came to a head during this year’s NFL Draft. Pace went all-in on Mitchell Trubisky. Apparently, Fox wasn’t notified of Pace’s plan until 90 minutes before the draft. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora wrote about the tension:
"It’s not a revelation that things are not great between young GM Ryan Pace and old-school head coach John Fox. I’ve been reporting and commenting on it since before last season."
This wouldn’t be the first time Fox had an icy relationship with the head of a front office. His previous job, with the Denver Broncos, ended when he and John Elway differed on how to field a winning team.
Chicago Tribune writer Rich Campbell brought that up before Fox got hired.
"Fox’s resume isn’t without stains…Elway on Tuesday noted the Broncos didn’t exit the playoffs “kicking and screaming” and questioned the team’s “fire.” That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for the motivational style on which Fox built his reputation. Fox and Elway also disagreed on the team’s direction after their most recent playoff loss. His ability to work with Pace is critical."
Now, we see that there is trouble between the two. Before the Bears become a winning team, they need to give one of these men their walking papers. To be honest, I hope it’s Fox that goes. The Bears need to score points in bunches to become real contenders. Depending on the running game and playing conservatively just don’t make you consistent winners in this day and age.
Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 3
Let Ryan Pace build this team his way. Let him have his coach and see what happens. This isn’t working out with Fox so whatever happens with Pace, it cannot be worse than what’s happening now.